Ricochet
by Rocky2e
Summary: "Did you know that once upon a time Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday?" This story starts on Thanksgiving after the series finale of "Gossip Girl". In an attempt to reconstruct Lily and Rufus' relationship, there will be flashbacks to the beginning as well as a secret that will threaten their unknown future.


**A/N: Hello everyone, I am back with my final Rufus and Lily story! I hope you all will enjoy this one as much as you have been for **_**Rewrite **_**and **_**Flawed**_**. I don't have a particular plan in mind for this, but I am counting on your lovely reviews to help steer me in the right direction. One final thing before I start, I obviously don't own Gossip Girl, but I will borrow it from time to time.**

**Chapter One**

Rufus Humphrey rolls over in bed, almost falling off completely. Sleep has been evading him for the past few hours, it would just make sense for him to give up. He would rather just lie in bed today instead of be an active member of society. However, Rufus has no choice but to get up because he is expected to be at Dan and Serena's for Thanksgiving dinner in a couple hours.

The small silver lining Rufus takes out of this is that it will not be at Lily's penthouse. He hates being there, feeling like a guest when he used to live there with her. Although he supposes that Lily feels the same way whenever they are forced to move family gatherings to the loft. Dan and Serena's is neutral ground, somewhere where he and Lily can co-exist without stumbling over a memory in one another's former places of residence.

Plus, this Thanksgiving will be the first for Dan and Serena as a married couple and that is important. Although, Rufus is forced to attend alone, instead of with Lisa like he originally planned. Lisa moved out a week ago after living there for nearly six months.

Rufus could see the end of their relationship coming almost as soon as it started. He never meant for Lisa to be a permanent fixture in his life, but more of a stop-gap. She was sweet, nice to his kids, but there was no passion between them. Dan always secretly called her the Anti-Lily, which Rufus denied. His son was right though; Rufus dated Lisa because she was the exact opposite of _her. _

After the divorce, Rufus sought out someone that he thought he was depriving himself of because of Lily. Lisa was into music and encouraged him to pursue his career again. She hated the Upper East Side and everything it stood for. Lisa was simple and easy to please and Rufus desired that after being with Lily for so many years. After a while though, Rufus realized that his relationship with Lisa would not work simply because she was not Lily.

Of course, Rufus is still a little resentful towards Lily for what transpired between them to cause their divorce. They were the Upper East Side's most perfect couple until one day they weren't. Rufus and Lily started turning into the very couples they were afraid of. They started keeping secrets and lying to each other because it was easier than to actually communicate. When Rufus and Lily finally decided to divorce, people in their social circle were in utter disbelief, never having an inkling as to trouble between the couple.

Despite everything, Rufus takes responsibility for what he did to make his marriage to Lily disintegrate. It was the right choice at the time and he does not regret it. Lily decided not to fight harder for them and Rufus did not want to be the only one trying. Lily chose Bart, again, and this time, she did not have Serena to blame. After Bart's actual death, Rufus considered reaching out to Lily, but ultimately decided against it. He knew how easy it was for them to fall into old habits.

Lily never contacted him and Dan said that William accompanied her to Bart's funeral. Rufus was shocked that William resurfaced in Lily's life, but he knew better than anyone that she does not like to be alone. Rufus never thought it would last, but after a while, he stopped caring. He would get sporadic updates on Lily through Dan or they would see each other occasionally.

Seeing her was always the hardest, especially when there were other people involved. They were friends as they had agreed upon, but it was usually awkward. Rufus and Lily have not talked to each other since Dan and Serena's wedding nearly six months ago and it was very brief. Rufus begrudgingly congratulated Lily on her engagement to William and they chatted about the wedding. He introduced her to Lisa, but he could tell Lily did not care for his ex-girlfriend.

Now it is Thanksgiving, a holiday that was always spent with Lily in some capacity. Rufus is not even sure that Lily and William are planning on going to Dan and Serena's, but he has a feeling they are. He knows that Lily would prefer to spend Thanksgiving with her family rather than at Eleanor Waldorf's or at a party with William's colleagues. The thought of calling Dan to ask crosses his mind, but he quickly dismisses it. Rufus does not want to seem childish.

Lily wakes up in a sweat and pushes William's arm off of her so she can go into the bathroom. She splashes some water on her face, needing a second to cool down. The constant night sweats and other weird symptoms Lily has been experiencing the past few weeks are starting to worry her. She has not discussed anything with William, or anyone else yet, but she is concerned because her symptoms now resemble what happened the last time she was sick.

William awakens shortly after Lily vacated the bed and rubs his eyes as he approaches the bathroom door. He knocks and lets himself in, noticing how Lily is staring off into the distance.

"Lily? Are you okay?" William asks as he yawns. Lily reaches behind him for a towel to dab her face with.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just woke up very…hot." William furrows his eyebrows, thinking that her explanation does not make sense since it is November.

"Are you sure? Do you need to talk about something?"

"No, my darling, I'm fine. I just needed a moment. The bathroom is all yours," Lily rests her hand on his bicep as she brushes past him. She can hear the shower starting while she finds her way back to her bed.

The engagement ring wrapped around her finger is glistening in the minimal lighting illuminating her bedroom. Lily glances down at her ring and starts to fiddle with it, sliding it back and forth on her finger.

She starts to think about her relationship with William. He proposed to her shortly before Serena's wedding to Dan, saying that their daughter's upcoming nuptials inspired him to make things official with her again. Lily accepted because she felt like it was the right thing to do. Not that she does not love William, she does, but it feels a little rushed. Lily has not felt the sudden urge to plan a wedding like she has in the past.

Eric and Serena are happy that their parents came together again. It took a while, especially with Eric because he still was devastated by her divorce from Rufus, but he was able to see that their mother is happy. William gives her the independence to do whatever she pleases, which is nice for Lily. He looks the other way while she pours gin into her coffee cup every morning and she does not mind when he says he has to work late at least three nights a week.

However, Lily feels like lately she and William are merely co-existing together. Their relationship functions and they hardly ever fight, which is the problem. Even if she and Rufus did argue a lot, at least they cared enough to confront a problem within their marriage so they could repair it. She and Rufus loved each other so deeply and profoundly that it eventually became too much. Lily wants to believe that they made the right choice by ending their marriage, but even five years later, she still does not know for sure.

A slight smile tugs at Lily's lips when she thinks of seeing Rufus at Dan and Serena's later on. Her grin dissipates when she remembers that Rufus is still with Lisa. If he is going to be there, she is too. Lily does not blame Rufus for moving on because she did so quickly with Bart. It actually took longer than Lily thought for Rufus to finally find someone he was willing to share his life with again. Lily just hopes that Lisa realizes how lucky she is that Rufus chose her.

It is no secret that Lily does not care for Lisa. When Rufus introduced the pair at Serena and Dan's wedding, Lily could sense something off about Lisa. She could tell from the start that Lisa is not the best choice for Rufus.

Lily chastises herself, who Rufus spends his time with is none of her concern anymore. Even if she and Rufus agreed to be friends, they are still divorced. If Rufus asked for her honest opinion, Lily would give it to him, but until then, she will be cordial to Lisa to squash the tension. Deciding that it would be the best option for everyone involved, Lily pushes herself off the bed so she can start getting ready for the day.

"Are you sure we made the right choice?" Dan asks Serena out of the blue while he is cutting up vegetables. Serena furrows her eyebrows, looking for a sign as to what her husband is referring to.

"I would have a better answer to your question if I knew what you were asking me."

"Cute. I was thinking about our parents. Do you think that we should have invited both of them? It could be awkward with your father here too. And now that dad is with Lisa..." Dan has to admit that he still harbors some hatred for Serena's father. It has been dwindling since the cancer scare that almost broke up his father's marriage to Lily, but it amps up again every so often. He has been more accepting towards William because he is engaged to Lily, but Dan can see how devastated Rufus looks every time he sees them together. Dan is aware that his father is not over Lily and probably never will be, but their marriage could not survive the strain.

"Oh…I don't know, I would think that it is kind of water under the bridge by now, don't you think?" Serena is tired of trying to be the mediator between her mother, father and Rufus. Her loyalty is split between her husband and her parents. She sympathizes with both Rufus and Lily, knowing that the divorce was not an easy choice. Serena can remember catching her mother crying over the split shortly after the brief reconciliation with Bart.

_"Mom? Are you home?" Serena yells into the penthouse. She called Lily to tell her mother that she was dropping off an extra copy of Dan's book on her way to the Hamptons. Her mother answered, but now is nowhere to be found. _

_ Serena heads upstairs to her mother's room, hearing someone's muffled sobbing on the other side of the door. She assumes it is Lily and gently knocks on the door. Serena can hear sniffling and then someone approaching the door._

_ Lily opens the door a crack, looking weathered, but all traces of her crying have vanished from her face. She throws on a poorly constructed smile and lets Serena into the bedroom. Lily takes the book from Serena and sets it on the bed before wrapping her daughter in a tight hug._

_ "Hey mom, is everything okay?" Serena says and rubs her mother's back. She has not seen Lily like this in a long time, since the last big fight she got in with Rufus. _

_ "Yeah, darling, I'm fine." _

_ "Mom," Serena challenges, growing tired of hearing that word from her mother. All Lily has ever been since the divorce is fine. The spark in Lily's eye that Rufus always provided fizzled out and the bright smile Lily always wore when she was with him has been traded in. Bart only brought out a carefully put-together half-grin on Lily's lips when he said something faintly amusing or romantic. _

_ Lily senses tears unexpectedly prick her eyes as she glances at Rufus' shirt left out on her bed. Serena tracks her mother's stare and frowns, recognizing the article of clothing immediately. It was one of Rufus' favorite shirts, a gift from Lily for their first Christmas they spent as a family. Rufus always wore it when he and Lily went out on dates together. _

_ "I found it under my bed. He must have left it there when…" Lily trails off, her throat becoming too constricted to speak. _

_ "Mom, why don't you just call him? I know he is upset, but you are too. I am sure you guys can fix this. You guys love each other so much." _

_ Serena is willing to forgive Rufus for the role he played in breaking her mother's heart because at least he is not Bart. She hates Bart, he is never around for Lily and when he is, it is always uncomfortable. Rufus always treated her and Eric like they were his own kids and encouraged them to come to him with any problems. He was always so understanding and forgiving towards Lily which is something Serena appreciated. She knows firsthand how hard her mother is to deal with. _

_ Lily shakes her head and wipes tears away with the back of her hand. She wants to make things work with Bart because she knows there is no way Rufus would forgive her. Rejection from him would completely undo her. _

_ Serena wraps her arms around Lily and buries her head in her mother's shoulder. She wishes things did not turn out like this for Rufus and Lily, but there is nothing she can do. _

"Serena? Hello? Did you even hear a word I said?" Dan asks. His wife has been staring off into the distance for a good five minutes.

"No, I'm sorry, I missed it."

"I said that I agreed with you. My dad and Lily have decided that they will never be a couple again, so there is nothing to worry about. Lily has William and my dad has Lisa. Today will be fine, I promise."

Serena smiles at Dan, feeling appreciative that he always knows what to say to her.

"Yeah, you are right." She walks over and dusts a kiss to his lips before going into their bedroom to change.

Rufus arrives at Serena and Dan's brownstone first, always on time. He ended up buying Lily's favorite wine on accident, purely out of habit. Rufus did not even realize it until he was walking out of the store. He figured he would bring it anyway, since he did not want to show up empty handed.

"Hey Rufus," Serena says when she sees her former step-father. She approaches him, taking the wine and setting it on the counter before giving him a quick hug. It took Serena a while to talk to Rufus because of the divorce. Although Lily tried to hide it, Serena could tell how distraught she was about what Rufus did with Ivy. She watched her mother turn cold and hollow because of him. Serena gradually started warming up to Rufus again when she and Dan rekindled their relationship. "Oh, that's my mom's favorite."

Rufus gives Serena a half-smile, knowing that she would pick up on that eventually.

"Yeah, I grabbed it on accident. I figured Lil would want it."

Serena is baffled that after all this time, Rufus still calls her mother Lil. She has not heard it for a while because Bart and William always stick with Lily. Her mother always loved it when Rufus called her Lil because it was his special nickname for her that nobody else but him could use.

"I'm sure she will drink it. Here, take your coat off, stay a while. Eric and Jenny should be here soon."

Dan comes downstairs and notices that his father is here.

"Hey dad," Dan says while hugging Rufus. He glances around Rufus, wondering he came by himself or if Lisa is a step behind.

"Lisa and I broke up," Rufus says, before anyone could ask. Dan and Serena quirk their eyebrows and trade shocked looks.

"Oh…I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" Serena asks. She did not know Lisa that well, but she knew her mother did not care for Rufus' girlfriend. Not that Lily would ever say anything, but Serena could tell. She personally did not mind Lisa, but she did not have much of an interest in who Rufus dated. Rufus shrugs and leans on the counter, crossing his arms.

"It was mutual. She moved out last week and that was the end of it. Now, do you guys need any help?" Rufus asks, making it clear that he wants to move on. He is sure Jenny is going to ask him about it later and he will provide her with the same answer.

Serena and Dan catch the hint and ask him if they wouldn't mind watching the turkey. Dan has done most of the cooking since Serena inherited her poor cooking skills from Lily.

People start flooding into the brownstone. Blair, Chuck, and Henry arrive a little while later. Nate brings his new girlfriend. Some of Dan's writer colleagues come that Serena is not that familiar with. Eric and Jenny arrive together, each of them bringing a date. The only people missing are William and Lily. Not that Rufus is surprised, he knows from experience that Lily is always late to everything. That is, if they even plan on coming. Rufus wants to ask, but he knows Dan would take it the wrong way especially now that he is aware that Lisa is no longer in the picture.

It is only when he is wrapped up in a conversation with Jenny is when he hears it. A musical sound Rufus could identify anywhere, something that used to flood his body with warmth. He turns slightly and seesherlaughing at something Chuck whispered in her ear.

"Oh God, dad, really?" Jenny asks with disgust, tracking his eyes to Lily. She has never liked Lily and was glad when her dad finally divorced her. Jenny thought Rufus was finally over Lily for good, but clearly she was wrong.

"Jenny," Rufus says with exasperation. He is not exactly on the best terms with Lily, but his daughter has no reason to be nasty towards her.

"Dad, seriously, you need to move on," Jenny says and walks away to find her boyfriend, leaving Rufus by himself.

Rufus cannot tear his eyes away from Lily. He watches her gather up Henry and press a big kiss to his cheek. William stands back, chatting with Serena about something. Lily has on a brown lace dress and her hair is in a braided bun. Although, Rufus notices something _off_ about her. It is something that he can't exactly pinpoint, but Lily looks slightly different than the last time he saw her. He could just attribute it to them getting older since they are approaching their fifties. However, Rufus does not think age is a factor. She looks thinner, which would not make a difference if she did not have a petite frame to begin with.

Rufus knows better than to ask, knowing that he would receive an answer that Lily will provide to everyone. Even though it really is not any of his business, he still cares about Lily's well-being whether he wants to admit it or not.

Lily sets Henry down on the floor and glances up, locking eyes with Rufus instantaneously. They hold each other's gaze for a moment, both too stubborn to look away. She provides him with a small grin, which he does not return. Lily sticks her nose up and ignites a conversation with Blair all the while casually glancing at Rufus.

_Alright Lily, get a hold of yourself, it's just Rufus. _Lily thinks to herself while pretending to listen to Blair ramble on about her take-over of Waldorf Designs. She has to admit, Rufus looks good. His charcoal button down paired with dark wash denim brings out the green in his eyes which are covered by black glasses. She is so used to seeing him in suits, something she practically had to force him to wear while they were married.

And Lily notices that Lisa is nowhere to be seen, which is a bonus for her. She does not have to force herself to be cordial to Lisa when she does not want to. As long as she can keep her distance from Rufus today, everything will be fine.

Rufus clears his throat, berating himself for that slipup. He should not be staring at his ex-wife who is here with her fiancé which he hates. Plus, he and Lily are not necessarily on good terms right now, both of them are still reeling from the divorce even five years later. If she can stay close to William, Rufus will have no reason to approach her. They have dinner, linger for desert and then she will tell William that she is tired so they can go home.

William makes his way through the crowd of people forming around the appetizers towards Lily and Blair. He saw Rufus when they first walked in and noticed that Lily tensed up a little bit. His relationship with Rufus has always been strained because they have always been fighting over Lily. He is well aware of how Lily feels about Rufus and he has been trying to fill the void like he did the first time. It seems to be working for now, Lily has barely bothered with Rufus, more so now than before now that he has a girlfriend. Or had, William does not see Lisa around anywhere.

"Lily, can I talk to you for a second?" William asks Lily, tearing her away from Blair.

"Sure, excuse us," Lily says to Blair and follows William to a secluded corner of the room. She passes by Rufus, who is speaking with Dan, without exchanging any words with him. Lily catches a whiff of Rufus' cologne and conceals a grin by tilting her head down. She always loved how Rufus smelled and it looks like that has not changed.

"What's going on William?" Lily asks, crossing her arms over her chest. They have been here for about twenty minutes and she can guess what he wants to discuss with her.

"Are you okay with Rufus being here?" William whispers to her. He keeps his voice down so nobody can overhear their conversation. Lily shrugs, but uncrosses her arms.

"Yeah, it's fine, you don't have to worry." Honestly, Lily would rather not have Rufus here, but now that he is, she is not going to let it bother her. He has every right to be at Dan and Serena's as much as she does. Secretly, Lily sort of wants to talk to Rufus, but realizes what kind of tension that would cause.

"I'm worried about you."

"You don't have to be. Rufus and I are done. There is nothing left between us." Lily is not going to defend herself to William about Rufus. Her relationship with Rufus has always been complicated, but she means what she says to William.

William is skeptical about what Lily said. There is always going to be a tiny spark between her and Rufus whether she wants to acknowledge it or not. Lily has been in love with Rufus for over twenty years, she cannot just shut it off completely. Fighting with Lily about it will only push her away and potentially towards Rufus.

"Alright, let's get a drink." William rests his hand on the small of her back, gently pushing her towards the kitchen counter. Lily, however, hesitates, refusing to move for William.

"I need to use the bathroom. I will meet you over there, grab me a glass of wine." Lily disappears into the crowd before William has a chance to stop her. She needs a second to compose herself after seeing Rufus. Lily always underestimates the kind of affect Rufus has on her.

Lily sneaks into the bathroom adjacent to the living room and locks the door behind her. She could feel herself becoming extremely warm, which is something she has been experiencing frequently. _Relax Lily, just because Lisa is not here, does not mean that she and Rufus are not still together. _Lily blots her face with a towel and flushes the toilet to make it appear like she used the bathroom.

On her way out, Lily opens the door, accidentally hitting somebody with it. She somebody grunt and immediately recognizes the voice.

"Sorry," Lily mutters, covering her mouth to conceal her shock. Rufus drops his hand off of his shoulder and smiles slightly at her, finding her embarrassment kind of cute.

"It's okay Lil, I'll survive." Lily nods and lets an awkward silence wash over the two of them. Both are unsure of what to say because of the circumstances of their situation.

"How are you doing?" Lily asks before she can think about it. They should not be talking, it was one of her rules for being here today; avoid all unnecessary communication with Rufus.

"I'm doing fine considering, you?" Lily has to assume that the considering means that Rufus and Lisa broke up. She is guessing that Rufus does not want to discuss it since he did not mention it.

"I'm good, a little busy. I'm sorry about Lisa, she seemed nice." Rufus quirks an eyebrow, he only can presume that one of their kids told Lily about Lisa.

"How did you know about Lisa?"

"Small island," Lily says, referencing a decade old inside joke between the two of them.

_"Well our children were bound to meet, it's a small island," Rufus says to Lily after she goes to his gallery in Brooklyn to confront him about the possibility of their children dating._

_ "Are you sure it's not some ploy using my daughter to get to me now that your wife left you?" Lily counters back, not appreciating Rufus' nonchalant attitude about the whole situation. She is determined not to let her daughter make the same mistake as she did, but Rufus does not seem to be concerned._

_ "How'd you know about Alison?" _

_ "Like you said, it's a small island." _

That was the exchange they had when Lily first stepped into Rufus' art gallery almost ten years ago. It was the inciting incident that rekindled their ultimately doomed relationship.

Rufus smirks slightly, noticing the bait that Lily is dangling in front of him. He will not engage though because he knows this could either get nostalgic or tragic really fast. Lily has a habit of throwing out insults, something she does when she feels threatened. Rufus does not have the patience to be on the receiving end of her jabs at his failed relationship when the wounds are still too fresh.

"Look Lil, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but it is really none of your business." He watches Lily's walls go up immediately. She slowly nods her head, pursing her lips in the process. Rufus internally cringes, he has seen that look many times on her face throughout their marriage.

"Take care of yourself Rufus," Lily mutters and walks away, leaving him alone at the end of the narrow hallway. She rests a hand on her head, thinking it was incredibly stupid of her to do what she just did. Lily would be the last person Rufus wants sympathy from about his break up with Lisa and she knows that. It was cruel of her to pretend to offer a false apology. Rufus has every right to protect himself, especially from her. She sincerely did not mean any harm by it, she just wanted to talk to him for a second.

Lily meets William back in the kitchen where he is talking with Serena and Eric. He is holding a glass of wine and next to him on the counter is one for her. She forces a smile on her face and scoops up the wine, taking a generous sip. The taste of the wine is something she recognizes as soon as it slips into her mouth. It is her favorite; a slightly aged Sonoma cabernet.

"Oh my, this wine is delicious. Who brought this?" Lily asks Serena.

"Rufus did, mom." Serena says. Lily smiles into the rim of the glass, but does not offer a comment in return. Rufus would be the only person that would know to bring it since he featured it on his list of her favorite things all those years ago. Lily still has that list in a box of artifacts that she saved from her marriage to Rufus.

"That was nice of him to bring this for everyone," Lily mumbles. Everyone in that group knows better, Rufus brought it for her, nobody else.

"Well, dinner is ready, so why don't we all sit?" Dan asks as he comes into the kitchen. People start migrating to the formal dining room. Serena walks over to Dan, letting him escort her to their seats. Eric leaves to find his boyfriend over by Jenny and her date. Lily sees Rufus slip into the dining room, but cannot tell where he chose to sit.

"Let's go grab our seats," William whispers in Lily's ear. She has been distracted ever since Rufus appeared at Dan and Serena's. He is trying to be supportive and is open to talk about it with her if she wants. However, Lily has been keeping her own council on the Rufus issue, except when she slipped up with the wine. William should have lied and said that he told Serena to buy it for her, but he did not think of it. Now, Rufus has scored a point with Lily which is not good for him.

Lily and William walk into the dining room, seeing almost everyone seated. The only two open seats are not next to each other, one is next to Rufus and the other is across from him. William glances over at Lily, seeing how she wants to proceed. He will sit next to Rufus if he has to, but Lily already breaks away from him. She scoots out the chair and occupies the seat next to Rufus, shooting a death glare at Serena for not planning ahead. If dinner was at Lily's penthouse, she would have had assigned seating at the table to avoid this exact thing.

Rufus and Lily trade uncomfortable glances, each knowing what the other is saying, something that only people that have known each other for so long are able to do. Both of them are looking around for someone that would be willing to trade seats with them. William begrudgingly takes the seat across from Lily and Rufus, annoyed that his fiancée chose to sit where she is.

Lily grabs her wine glass, taking a long sip and contemplating how she is going to get out of this uncomfortable situation. She has no idea how she always ends up spending Thanksgiving with Rufus, but this might be the worst one yet.

**A/N 2: I wanted to give you guys this little teaser now because school is starting again and I am going to get really busy. I haven't forgotten about **_**Flawed **_**and **_**Rewrite**_**, those are the next on my list. I am counting on everyone to help me with next chapter, which will not be updated right away. Thanks for reading! **


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